Democrats select three

Just one day after the retirement of Carbon County Treasurer Patty Bentsen, three candidates were selected to be presented to the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCC) on December 7. The Carbon County Democratic Party Central Committee, led by Chairman Jacob Mickselsen, held a meeting at the Rawlins Library on December 4 to interview potential replacements for Bentsen. 

The requirements of filling a vacancy in county elected offices is laid out under Wyoming State Statute 22-18-111 (ii). Under that statute, the county commissioners are required to notify the chairman of the county central committee of the incumbent’s political party of the vacancy. While Bentsen officially announced her plans to retire in October, her retirement wasn’t official until December 3. Under state statute, the county central committee then has 15 days to meet, select three candidates and present them to the county commissioners.

Each of the three candidates cited long-time residency in Carbon County and current work with the Carbon County government as they introduced themselves to the five members of the central committee.

The candidates

The first candidate was Debbie Lazarkiewizz, who has nearly 23 years experience working for the Carbon County Clerk’s Office. Lazarkiewizz, along with presenting her two decade work history with the county, also informed the central committee she came “from a long line of Democrats”. 

The second candidate was Eileen Keller, who has worked for the Carbon County Treasurer’s Office for the past 15 years in the Department of Motor Vehicles. Also a lifelong Democrat, Keller said she has lived in Carbon County for the past 33 years.

The third, and final, candidate was Lindsey West. West, who ran for Carbon County Assessor in 2018, has spent the past two and a half years working as Deputy Treasurer under Bentsen. Prior to that, she worked in the county assessor’s office before her run in 2018.

Will you run?

Though the interview process was rather quick and uneventful, each of the committee members had questions they asked of all three candidates. For Mickelsen, the question was if any of the candidates would run again if selected by the BOCCC.

Both Lazarkiewizz and Keller stated they would not run, as they were both looking to retire from their own positions with the county government within three or four years. West, however, stated she fully intended to run for Carbon County Treasurer in 2022.

Role of treasurer

Central Committee Member Dave Throgmorton asked Lazarkiewizz what she believed the role of treasurer involved.

“I’ve worked side-by-side with the treasurer’s office all these years. As far as the whole of what they do, I know it’s a lot. They take care of all the money and make sure we’re taken care of,” said Lazarkiewizz. “I feel like, just having worked there for so long, I do have some knowledge as to (what they do). Not just collecting the taxes. Taking all of our revenue in and then dispersing that the way it needs to be, making sure that we’re correct in all of that.”

Later, Central Committee Member Sandy Mehle-Hanson asked West how involved the treasurer’s office was in the budget process for the county.

“It’s more statistical information. When we’re looking back at prior years, we need to account for revenue and especially revenue forecasting,” said West. “So, working with Gwynn (Bartlett) and the commissioners to say ‘Hey, this is what it has been in the past years. This is what we’re looking for with potential changes with Senate File 60’, how ad valorem taxes are collected going forward and how that all affects the county’s budget, especially.”

Senate File 60

Though he asked Lazarkiewizz what she believed the role of treasurer was, Throgmorton’s questions of the two candidates from the treasurer’s office was focused more on ad valorem taxes. Senate File 60, which was passed during the 2020 Wyoming Legislative Session, has provided a number of headaches for county treasurers throughout the state.

Under Senate File 60, ad valorem taxes collected from corporations—specifically oil and gas companies—will be collected on a monthly basis rather than a twice annual basis. Bentsen had previously expressed her frustration about the bill to the BOCCC, who in turn voiced their concerns to the Wyoming Department of Revenue and the Wyoming County Commissioners Association.

“I have not been privy to that information. I have heard Patty talk about it, I’ve heard her stress over it. From what I understand, that system is not going to be so user friendly for the treasurer and the budgeting,” said Keller. “My focus has always been on the motor vehicles side and there’s a big wall between us, so we don’t always hear what’s going on.”

West, who was brought into the treasurer’s office by Bentsen to aid with property taxes, was able to speak on the issue with more authority.

“The treasurers from all counties have kind of been together on this just to be able to figure out how we’re going to account for the changes in the flow of ad valorem. Certainly, budgeting for the special districts that are impacted. Doing a little bit of forecasting for them, just so they have an idea of, ‘Hey, in this time frame this is what you’re anticipated to have’ just based off the Department of Revenue estimates for oil and gas,” West said. “With the way that they’re changing it, half of this year’s tax will not be collected. It will be pushed out for the foreseeable future. That’s a big deal, especially oil and gas. We’re heavily reliant on oil and gas in the county. It’s important to let all of the districts that rely on that (know) ‘Hey, your income is going to change drastically, the flow of it, and this is what the state has decided for us’. We didn’t get to choose this but we’ll certainly assist the best that we can and making sure that everyone’s on the same page and what to expect in the future years.”

Candidates provided

Having met the statutory requirement of three candidates to present to the BOCCC, the Carbon County Democratic Party Central Committee voted unanimously to forward the candidates to the commissioners.